For one person, living is cheaper in Burkina Faso: $1,158 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Burkina Faso and in the United States
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Burkina Faso and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,158 per month in Burkina Faso vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.
Burkina Faso $1,158
United States $2,734
A couple spends around $1,909 per month in Burkina Faso vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.
Burkina Faso $1,909
United States $3,985
A family of three spends $2,659 per month in Burkina Faso vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.
Burkina Faso $2,659
United States $5,235
📏
The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Burkina Faso ($1,158–$1,158), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Burkina Faso is roughly 58% lower than in the United States on average.
📊
Burkina Faso sits 15% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.03F CFA 4,144
$20.03$20.03
-64.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.85F CFA 15.2K
$80.0$80.0
-67.70%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.33F CFA 4,317
$11.80$11.80
-37.88%
Cappuccino
$1.95F CFA 1,148
$5.55$5.55
-64.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07F CFA 628
$2.66$2.66
-59.77%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10F CFA 650
$2.17$2.17
-49.31%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.17F CFA 688
$6.12$6.12
-80.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52F CFA 1,487
$7.94$7.94
-68.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.03F CFA 1,197
$1.04$1.04
95.19%
White Bread(500g)
$1.13F CFA 667
$3.59$3.59
-68.52%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.84F CFA 493
$4.52$4.52
-81.42%
Eggs
$2.57F CFA 1,514
$4.28$4.28
-39.95%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$16.90F CFA 9,952
$13.22$13.22
27.84%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$20.04F CFA 11.8K
$12.60$12.60
59.05%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.67F CFA 8,639
$17.60$17.60
-16.65%
Apples(1kg)
$4.62F CFA 2,724
$5.30$5.30
-12.83%
Banana(1kg)
-
$1.69$1.69
-
Oranges(1kg)
$3.36F CFA 1,979
$4.44$4.44
-24.32%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.84F CFA 2,265
$4.77$4.77
-19.50%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53F CFA 903
$2.97$2.97
-48.48%
Onion(1kg)
$1.75F CFA 1,030
$3.15$3.15
-44.44%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.25F CFA 735
$2.20$2.20
-43.18%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27F CFA 749
$2.35$2.35
-45.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.28F CFA 756
$10.98$10.98
-88.34%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.92F CFA 3,487
$15.05$15.05
-60.66%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39F CFA 816
$2.06$2.06
-32.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61F CFA 1,535
$3.79$3.79
-31.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.17F CFA 101
$1.94$1.94
-91.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$59.4$59.4
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.53F CFA 311
$3.58$3.58
-85.20%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.84F CFA 492
$1.88$1.88
-55.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.35F CFA 4,918
$29.84$29.84
-72.02%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.44F CFA 846
$1.02$1.02
41.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5KF CFA 16.8M
$28.8K$28.8K
-1.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9KF CFA 18.2M
$26.2K$26.2K
17.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$176F CFA 103.7K
$218$218
-19.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.41F CFA 15.0K
$62.5$62.5
-59.32%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.0F CFA 31.2K
$74.5$74.5
-28.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$58.6F CFA 34.5K
$41.86$41.86
40.09%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.28F CFA 4,878
$22.81$22.81
-63.70%
Cinema Ticket
$6.76F CFA 3,984
$14.70$14.70
-54.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$33.67F CFA 19.8K
$1,489$1,489
-97.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,023F CFA 3.5M
$25.3K$25.3K
-76.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.77F CFA 19.9K
$54.3$54.3
-37.85%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.1F CFA 30.1K
$42.71$42.71
19.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$85.3F CFA 50.3K
$94.1$94.1
-9.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103F CFA 60.7K
$114$114
-9.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$339F CFA 199.6K
$1,659$1,659
-79.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$234F CFA 137.7K
$1,348$1,348
-82.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,327F CFA 781.9K
$2,682$2,682
-50.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$745F CFA 439.1K
$2,169$2,169
-65.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$866F CFA 510.3K
$3,283$3,283
-73.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$252F CFA 148.5K
$2,482$2,482
-89.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Burkina Faso
United States
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$578F CFA 340.7K
$4,296$4,296
-86.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
12
6.55
83.21%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Burkina Faso: October 26, 2026
Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Burkina Faso
$348 * 30.1%
United States
$415 15.2% ↑ 19.3%$67
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burkina Faso
$255 22%
United States
$355 13% ↑ 39.4%$100
🏠Accommodation & Living
Burkina Faso
$234 20.2%
United States
$1.3K 49.3% ↑ 476%$1.1K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Burkina Faso
$123 10.6%
United States
$137 5% ↑ 11.5%$14
🍽Eating Out
Burkina Faso
$121 10.5%
United States
$328 12% ↑ 171%$207
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Burkina Faso
$72 6.2%
United States
$71 2.6% ↓ 1.2%$0.9
🚌Getting Around
Burkina Faso
$5.4 * 0.5%
United States
$80 2.9% ↑ 1387%$75
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Burkina Faso
$825 * 31%
United States
$953 18.2% ↑ 15.5%$128
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burkina Faso
$280 10.5%
United States
$417 8% ↑ 49.1%$137
🏠Accommodation & Living
Burkina Faso
$745 28%
United States
$2.2K 41.4% ↑ 191%$1.4K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Burkina Faso
$273 10.3%
United States
$305 5.8% ↑ 11.5%$31
🍽Eating Out
Burkina Faso
$372 14%
United States
$1.1K 20.3% ↑ 186%$691
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Burkina Faso
$153 5.7%
United States
$165 3.2% ↑ 8.3%$13
🚌Getting Around
Burkina Faso
$11 * 0.4%
United States
$164 3.1% ↑ 1375%$153
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $337 in Burkina Faso vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $337 in Ouagadougou and $2,768 in Washington, DC.
💰Average salary: $607 in Burkina Faso vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 381% higher in the United States.
⭐Dining out costs 200% more in the United States.
⭐Salaries are about 7.5 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.
Burkina Faso→United States8,810 km≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
Burkina Faso
United States
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Burkina Faso vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burkina Faso more expensive than the United States?
Burkina Faso is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 58% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $337 in Burkina Faso.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Burkina Faso or in the United States?
$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Burkina Faso, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Burkina Faso or to the United States?
Burkina Faso is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
Burkina Faso vs other spots: cost of living compared